Propeller attachment for rowboats.



PATENTBD FEB. 13, 1906.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 17. 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

rims?. m 5 d d M WV Q@ PATBNTTD FEB. 13, 1906.

y E. G. WALLOT. PROPBLLBR ATTACHMENT P OR ROWBOATS.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 17. 1904.

3 SHEETS--SHEBT 2.

l l l PATENTED FEB. 13, 1906.

E. G. WALLOF. PROPELLER ATTACHMENT POR ROWBOATS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 17. 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3A 5 5 f The case 4 5 is thus mounted for pivotal movermrrnn sTATEs PATENT lorion PROPELLER ATTACHMENT FOR ROWBOATS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1906.

Application filed September 17, 1904. Serial No. 224,799.

T0 all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD G. WALLoF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Propeller Attachments for Rowboats; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. j

My invention has for its especial object to provide a simple, cheap, and efficient propeller attachment for rowboats and other light craft 5 and to such ends it consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a rowboa't having one of my improved propeller attachments applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the parts shown in Fig. 1, taken on the line m2 x2 of said Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a hori- Zontal section on the line w3 x3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2, but illustrating a modified construction, some parts being shown only by dotted lines.

. The numeral 1 indicates the hull of a rowboat to the stern of which my improved propeller attachment is applied. On the sternboard of the hull 1, directly over the keel, is rigidly secured a cup like bearing 2, onto which is screw-threaded alarge centrally-perforated cap-nut 3.

In the construction illustrated the support for the propeller-wheel is made up of a twopart casing 4 5 and a sleeve 6. The casingsection 4 at its back is provided with a heavy laterally-projecting flanged trunnion 7, the flange of which works within the cavity of the bearing 2 and the body of which is journaled in the web portions of said bearing 2 and nut 3. The nut 3 acts upon the iiange of the trunnion 7 to hold the case 4 5 against movement longitudinally of the trunnion 7, but permits the said trunnion to freely turn to afford a pivot for the said case. Packings or gaskets 8, interposed between the flange of the trunnion 7 and web of the bearing 2 and the nut 3, form tight joints and cause the said bearing and nut to actas a stuffing-box.

ments in an approximately vertical. plane at a right angle to the line of travel, and normally it will stand in an approximately vertical position. At its lower end the case-section 4 is formed with a bearing-hub 9 and with a depending bearing-arm 1Q, which arm, as shown, is provided with a projecting finger 1 1, which when the case is turned upright enters a keeper 12, secured on the stern-post of the boat.

The propeller-wheel bearing-sleeve 6 extends longitudinally of the case 4 5, depends therefrom, and is journaled in the bearinghub 9 and bearing-arm 10 of the case-section 4. A stop-collar 13, rigidly secured on the sleeve 6 by a set-screw 14 or otherwise, rests upon the bearing of the arm 10 and holds said sleeve 6 against axial endwise movements. At its lower free end the sleeve 6 is formed with yoke-like bearing 15. Journaled in this yoke-bearing 15 and extending approximately in the direction of the line of travel of the boat or, otherwise stated, at a right angle to the axis of the sleeve 6 is a short propeller-wheel shaft 16, to the projecting end of which is rigidly attached a propeller-wheel 17.

Loosely journaled in the bearing-sleeve 6 and extending upward through the case 4 5 is a shaft 18, which at its lower end is provided with a bevel-gear 19, that intermeshes with a bevel-gear 20 on thel propeller-wheel shaft 16.

Mounted to rotate and to slide through bearing-prongs 4iL at the upper end of the case-section 4 is a controller in the form of a sleeve 21, having at its upper end a hand-lever 22 and having at its lower end an expanded sleeve-section 23, within which is held, by means of set-screws 24 or otherwise, an annular shipper-ring 25.

Extending from within the hull 1, through the trunnion 7, and into the case 4 5 is a power-driven shaft 26, which may be assumed to be the shaft of a small explosive-engine.

At that end which projects into the casing 4 5 said power-shaft 26. carries a smooth-faced frictional driving-disk 27. Mounted to slide on the upright shaft 18, but held to rotate therewith by means of key 28, is a frictionwheel 29. This friction-wheel has a peripheral annular facing 30, of leather or other material having great frictional adhesion to metal. This facing 30 runs against the face of the friction-disk 27 and serves to transmit motion from the shaft 26 to the shaft 18.

The sliding movements of the friction-wheel 29 are controlled by the position of the sleeve 21, the shipper-ring 25 of which'iits an annular groove in the hub of said Wheel.

Mounted on the sleeve 21, between the bearing-prongs 4a of the case-section 4, is a spur-gear' 31. The sleeve 21 slides freely through the gear 31, but the latter is caused to rotate with the former by means of a key 32, carried by the gear and engageable` with a groove 33 of said sleeve. A similar gear V34 is rigidly secured to the lower sleeve 6'just below the bearing-hub 9. A vertically-disposed shaft 35, mounted in the case-section 5 and extending through the upper and lower` extremities thereof, is provided with spurgears 36 and 37, that mesh, respectively, with the gears 31 and 34.

The friction-disk 27 and 'friction-wheel 29 cooperate to afford a variable-speed'reversible frictional drive. As is evident, the farther the wheel 29 is moved away from the axis of said friction-disky 27 the greater will' be the speed of the propeller-wheel". When the said friction-wheel is moved above the axis of said friction-disk, the propeller-wheel 17 will 'be rotated in a Adirection to propel the boat forward; 'but when the said wheel is moved below the axis` of said disk the propeller-wheel will be driven in a reverse direction and will propel the boat backward. When said friction-wheel is moved'into the plane of the axis of said friction-disk, no motion whatever will be imparted to the propeller-wheel, and, as will be noted by reference to Fig. 2, the centrallportion of said friction-disk 27 is countersunk at 27a to prevent frictional 'engagement between said friction-'disk and the friction-ringl 30 of said friction-wheel when the 'said wheel stands in a neutral or idle position.L As already indicated, the friction-wheel may be raised and lowered by sliding movements of the sleeve 21 and its handpiece 22. latory movements of the sleeve 21, acting through the counter-shaft 35 and coperating gears 31, 34, 36, and 37, the sleeve 6 may be oscillated and the propeller-wheel maybe thrown with its axis at any desired angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the boat, so that by such adjustments or movements of the propeller-wheel theboat may be steered without the use of a rudder. By the said movements the propeller-wheel may be turned into a reverse position from that shown by full lines in Fig. 2, 'as' shown by dotted lines in said Fig. 2, thereby reversing the driving action of the propeller without interrupting or changing `its direction of rotation. Also by means of the handpiece 22 4and 'sleeve 21 the casing 4 5 and other parts carried thereby maybe oscillated in an approximately vertical plane at a right angle to the axis of the boat, thereby raising or lowering the propeller and throwing thev same into any By rotary or oscildesired depth into the water or entirely out of the water. Thisl arrangement is important, because in deep water it is desirable for efficiency to have the propeller act below the bottom of the boat, While in shallow water it is necessary to raise the propeller above the bottom of the boat to prevent the wheel from being broken. In Fig. 1 the propeller and its oscillating support are by dotted lines shown as turned into a horizontal position.

From the above -it will be seenthat 'all the above-described `movements are under the control ofthe hand placedupon the' handpiece 22. Otherwise stated, all l] the said movements are under the control of a 'common actuator or controller,fwhich in the construction illustrated in Figs. `1, 2, land' 3 is afforded by the Vsleeve 21 and itshandpiece v22. The said ycommon vcontroller',.itwvill therefore be understood, isanimportant-feature and capable of many modifications within the scope of my invention asherein set" forth and claimed.

In-the construction illustr-atedinyFig. 4 a

ythe gear 31 and the intermeshing gear 36 Iare placed between webs `38'b of said casing'.l The counter-shaft'35, which in thi'sinstancelis mounted in the casing 38,"is much shorter than the counter'- shaft' Iof `ther-construction previously described: The ge'arf3 1- in Ithi'sconstruction is' rigidly secured'to an operatingshaft 42, which lis mounted fini ithe webs 38bof the casing y38v yand `hasa Icontrollir'igf handpiece 22 rigidly secured totheupper lend thereof. The construction illustrated'in this-'modification does not provide a variable-'speed drive, but provides means-for steering theboat by angular oscillatory movements' of' the propeller-wheel, and provides meansy for driving the boat backward by turnin'gthe propeller forward into the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4.

The pro elling attachments' Eabove described whi e of comparatively small cost 'are extremely efficient and convenient for the pur oses had'in view, and they maybe very easi ly applied to anyrowboator'sim'ilar small craft. Whenlapplied toa'ro'wboat, the" attachm'ent will usually be so `setfthat the axis of the propeller-"wheel will lincline slightly downward rearward ofthe boat.'

From what has vbeen `said it will be 'understood thatv the lrneclismism described "is capa- IOO ble of many modifications within thescope oj my invention as herein set forth and claimed.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. The combination with the hull of a boat, of a propeller-su port pivotally adjustable in an approximate y vertical plane, extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the boat, and pivotally movable on an approximately vertical axis, apropeller-wheel mounted on said support, and driving connections to said propeller, operative while permitting said adjustments of said propeller-support, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the hull of a boat, of a propeller-support mounted for angular adjustments and for pivotal movements on an approximately vertical axis,l a common controller or handpiece for imparting said two movements to said support, a propellerwheel mounted on said support, and driving connections to said propeller, operative while permitting the said adjustments of said propeller-support, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the hull of a boat, of a propeller-su port pivotally connected thereto for pivota movements in an approximately vertical plane, a power-shaft extending through the pivotal connections between the said hull and the said pro eller-support, an approximately vertical sha t journaled in the propeller-support, a sleeve surrounding said vertical shaft and rotatively mounted in the main body portion of said propeller-support and itself constituting a part of said propeller-support, a propeller-wheel carried byv the lower end of said sleeve and geared to said vertical shaft, a handpiece or controller pivotally mounted in the upper portion of the body of said propeller-support, a countershaft journaled in the body of said propellersupport and provided with a pair of gears, a

gear on said sleeve meshing with one ofthe gears of said counter-shaft, a gear connected for rotation with said handpiece or controller and meshing with the other gear of said counter-shaft, and power-transmitting connections between the said power-shaft and said vertical shaft, operative while permitting the noted adjustments of said propeller-support, substantially as described.

4. The combination with the hull of a boat, of a propeller-support having a rotary sleevesection, a propeller having its shaft journaled in the lower portion of said sleeve-section, a power-driven shaft journaled in said sleevesection and connected to the shaft of said propeller by a pair of intermeshing bevelgears, a handpiece having a stem portion journaled in said propeller-support above said power-driven shaft, a counter-shaft offset from said sleeve-section and the stem of said handpiece, journaled in said propellersupport and connected both to the stem of said handpiece and to said rotary sleeve-section of said propeller-support, substantially as described.

5. The combination with the hull of a boat, of a propeller-support pivotally connected to the stern of said boat for pivotal movements in an approximately vertical plane transversely of the boat, a propeller-wheel carried by said propeller-support and movable into and out of the water by pivotal movements thereof, a drive for said propeller including a shaft extending axially through the pivotal connection between said boat and propellersupport, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD G. WALLOF. Witnesses:

ROBERT C. MABEY, F. D. MERCHANT. 

